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{{Infobox music genre
|name = Alternative metal
|bgcolor = #BB0022
|color = white
|stylistic_origins = [[Alternative rock]] {{pipe}} [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] {{pipe}} various other music genres
|cultural_origins = Mid-1980s, United States
|instruments = [[Singing|Vocals]] {{pipe}} [[electric guitar]] {{pipe}} [[bass guitar|bass]] {{pipe}} [[drum kit|drums]] {{pipe}} occasional use of [[electronic keyboard|keyboards]] and [[piano]]
|derivatives = [[Post-grunge]]
|subgenres = [[Funk metal]] {{pipe}} [[nu metal]] {{pipe}} [[rap metal]]
|fusiongenres =
|subgenrelist = List of alternative metal genres
|regional_scenes = [[Music of Los Angeles|Los Angeles]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Grow |first=Kory |url=http://www.spin.com/articles/tool-opiate-reissue-limited-edition-adam-jones |title=Not a Downer: Tool's Adam Jones Talks 'Opiate' Reissue, New Material | SPIN | Q & A |publisher=SPIN |date=2013-03-20}}</ref> {{pipe}} [[Music of New York City|New York]] {{pipe}} [[Music of Japan|Japan]]
|other_topics = [[Avant-garde metal]] {{pipe}} [[gothic metal]] {{pipe}} [[grunge]] {{pipe}} [[industrial metal]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/style/industrial-metal-ma0000012276|title=Industrial Metal|work=AllMusic|quote=Either way, industrial metal generally possesses greater aggressive force than straight-ahead industrial, which helped the style cross over to metal and alternative audiences accustomed to guitar-driven music. Industrial metal lyrics also mirror the darkness and aggression of standard heavy metal, although the sensibility is filtered through the personal alienation of punk and alternative rock...In the wake of NIN's success, a number of similar-sounding bands popped up on alternative radio, and toward the end of the decade, a number of popular alternative metal bands appropriated industrial metal's electronic production touches into their hybrid of aggressive music styles.}}</ref> {{pipe}} [[post-hardcore]]
}}
'''Alternative metal''' (also known as '''alt-metal'''<ref name=aboutdotcom>{{cite web|last=Grierson|first=Tim|url=http://rock.about.com/od/rockmusic101/a/AlternativeMetal.htm|title=Alternative Metal - What Is Alternative Metal - Alt-Metal History|work=About.com}}</ref> or '''hard alternative'''<ref name="McIver">{{cite book|author=Joel McIver|title=Unleashed: The Story of Tool|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=dA_V2mbPiecC&pg=PT108|publisher=Music Sales Group|isbn=978-0-85712-040-3|page=108}}</ref>) is a subgenre of [[rock music]] and [[heavy metal]] with influences from its parent-genre [[alternative rock]],<ref name="Will to mangle"/> and other genres not normally associated with metal.<ref name="Will to mangle">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/will-to-mangle-mw0000230390|title=Sourvein Will to Mangle|work=AllMusic|last=Henderson|first=Alex}}</ref><ref name="allmusic alt metal"/> Alternative metal bands are often characterized by heavy guitar [[riff]]s, melodic vocals, sometimes [[Screaming|harsh vocals]], unconventional sounds within other heavy metal genres, unconventional song structures and sometimes experimental approaches to heavy music.<ref name="allmusic alt metal">{{cite web|url={{Allmusic|class=style|id=alternative-metal-ma0000012328|pure_url=yes}}|title=Alternative Metal|work=AllMusic}}</ref>
The term has been in usage since the 1980s,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QhhXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8fkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5766,270821&dq=alternative-metal+alice-in-chains&hl=en|title='Alice' will rattle some chains|first=Patricia|last=Crean|publisher=''Spokane Chronicle''}}</ref> although it came into prominence in the 1990s.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jesters of Destiny|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/jesters-of-destiny-mn0000344125|work=Allmusic}}</ref> It has spawned several subgenres, including [[rap metal]]<ref name="allmusic alt metal"/><ref name=rap-metal1>{{cite web|title=Rap-Metal|work=Allmusic|url=http://www.allmusic.com/style/rap-metal-ma0000002817|quote=Rap-Metal seeks to fuse the most aggressive elements of hardcore rap and heavy metal, and became an extremely popular variation of alternative metal during the late '90s...In spite of projects like 1993's much-hyped Judgment Night soundtrack -- which featured all-star teamings of artists from the rap and rock worlds -- crossover collaborations faded as the '90s wore on. At the same time, rap-metal began to draw influences from alternative metal -- specifically, bands like Helmet, White Zombie, and Tool, who relied on crushingly heavy sonic textures more than catchy songwriting or immediately memorable riffs. The thick sound and the lack of melodic emphasis fit rap-metal's concerns perfectly.
With the exception of Rage Against the Machine's angry left-wing politics, most rap-metal bands during the mid- to late '90s blended an ultra-aggressive, testosterone-heavy theatricality with either juvenile humor or an introspective angst learned through alternative metal...}}</ref> and [[funk metal]], which have both influenced another prominent subgenre, [[nu metal]], which expands the alternative metal sound, commonly adding influences from [[hip hop music|hip hop]], [[groove metal]],<ref name="horror"/> [[grunge]], and sometimes [[industrial metal]].
==History==
The origins of the genre can be traced back to [[funk rock]] music of the early to mid-1980s, when [[alternative rock|alternative]] bands like [[Fishbone]], [[Faith No More]] and the [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]] started mixing [[heavy metal]] with [[funk]], creating the alternative metal subgenre [[funk metal]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Funk Metal |url=http://www.allmusic.com/style/funk-metal-ma0000012114 |title=Funk Metal : Significant Albums, Artists and Songs, Most Viewed |publisher=AllMusic}}</ref> Other early bands in the genre also came from [[hardcore punk]] backgrounds.<ref>{{cite web|author=Punk Metal |url=http://www.allmusic.com/style/punk-metal-ma0000012022 |title=Punk Metal : Significant Albums, Artists and Songs, Most Viewed |publisher=AllMusic |date= }}</ref> Bands such as Faith No More, [[Jane's Addiction]] and [[Soundgarden]] are recognized as some of the earliest alternative metal acts, with all three of these bands emerging around the same time, and setting the template for the genre by mixing heavy metal music with a variety of different genres in the mid to late 80s.<ref name="allmusic alt metal"/><ref>Sharpe-Young, Garry (2007). ''Metal: The Definitive Guide''. London, England: Jawbone Press. p. 482. ISBN 1-906002-01-0.</ref><ref name=fnm>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/faith-no-more-mn0000134729|title=Faith No More - Music Biography, Credits and Discography|first=Stephen Thomas|last=Erlewine|work=AllMusic}}</ref><ref name="about.com soundgarden">{{cite web|url=http://rock.about.com/od/soundgarde1/p/Soundgarden.htm|title=Soundgarden Biography|first=Tim|last=Grierson|work=About.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Prato |first=Greg |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/nothings-shocking-mw0000196037 |title=Nothing's Shocking - Jane's Addiction : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |publisher=AllMusic}}</ref> During the 1980s, alternative metal appealed mainly to [[alternative rock]] fans, since virtually all 1980s alt-metal bands had their roots in the American [[Alternative rock|independent rock]] scene.<ref name="allmusic alt metal"/>
The emergence of [[grunge]] as a popular style of [[rock music]] in the early 1990s helped make alternative metal more acceptable to a mainstream audience, with alternative metal soon becoming the most popular [[Heavy metal|metal]] style of the 1990s.<ref name="allmusic alt metal"/> Several bands associated with the genre denied their status as metal bands.<ref name="toolbook"/><ref name="beast">Christe, Ian (2003). Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal. HarperCollins. Chapter 13 ''Transforming the 1990s:
The Black Album & Beyond''.</ref> [[Helmet]] drummer [[John Stanier]] said "We fell into the whole metal thing by accident, we always hated it when people mentioned metal in conjunction with us.”<ref name="beast"/> The alternative music festival [[Lollapalooza]] conceived by Jane's Addiction singer [[Perry Farrell]], helped bands associated with the movement such as [[Tool]], [[Rage Against the Machine]], [[Primus]], [[Nine Inch Nails]], Soundgarden and [[Alice in Chains]] gain exposure.<ref name="allmusic alt metal"/> The [[progressive rock]]-influenced band Tool became a leading band in the alternative metal genre with the release of their 1993 debut album ''[[Undertow (Tool album)|Undertow]]''; Tool's popularity in the mid-'90s helped kick off an era of bands with alt-metal tendencies also classified in other genres like [[Industrial music|industrial]] (Nine Inch Nails) and [[rap rock]] (Rage Against the Machine).<ref name=aboutdotcom/> Many established 1980s metal bands released albums in the 1990s that were described as alternative metal, including [[Anthrax (American band)|Anthrax]],<ref>{{cite web|author=Christopher R. Weingarten |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2011-09-14/music/anthrax-and-joey-belladonna-keep-it-in-the-family/ |title=Anthrax and Joey Belladonna Keep It In the Family - Page 1 - Music - New York |publisher=Village Voice |date=2011-09-14}}</ref> [[Metallica]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Relative|first=Saul|date=August 21, 2008|url=http://voices.yahoo.com/new-metallica-day-never-comes-has-arrived-1841224.html|title=New Metallica -- 'The Day that Never Comes' Has Arrived|work=Yahoo! Voices}}</ref>{{unreliable source|date=October 2015}} and [[Mötley Crüe]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://metalhammer.teamrock.com/news/2015-01-04/corabi-revisits-1994-motley-crue-album|title=Corabi revisits 1994 Motley Crue album|work=Metal Hammer}}</ref>
In the later part of the 1990s, a second, more aggressive wave of alternative metal emerged; dubbed [[nu metal]], it often relied more on [[thrash metal]],<ref name="allmusic alt metal"/> [[groove metal]]<ref name="horror">{{cite journal |title=What's the Deal with Soundtrack Albums? Metal Music and the Customized Aesthetics of Contemporary Horror |last=Tompkins |first=Joseph |journal=Cinema Journal |year=2009 |volume=49 |number=1 |url=http://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/cinema_journal/v049/49.1.tompkins.html}}</ref> and [[Hip hop music|hip hop]]<ref name="allmusic alt metal"/> influences, as opposed to the influences of the first wave of alternative metal bands, with this style subsequently becoming more popular than regular alternative metal.<ref name=aboutdotcom/><ref name="allmusic alt metal"/><ref name="stoner"/> It resulted in a more standardized sound among alternative metal bands, in contrast to the more eccentric and unclassifiable early alternative metal bands.<ref name="allmusic alt metal"/> During the late 1990s and early 2000s, nu metal was mainstream with bands such as [[Korn]], [[Limp Bizkit]], [[Linkin Park]] and [[Staind]] all attaining success. Some nu metal bands managed to push musical boundaries while still remaining commercially viable, such as [[Mudvayne]] (who combined [[progressive rock|progressive]]<ref>https://www.revolvermag.com/news/10-nu-metal-albums-you-need-to-own.html</ref> elements) and [[Deftones]], who have incorporated [[post-hardcore]] and [[dream pop]] influences.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/m/metal_meltdown/news_feature_030124/ |title=Nu Metal Meltdown |publisher=MTV |last=D'Angelo |first=Joe}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/m/metal_meltdown/news_feature_030124/index2.jhtml |title=Nu Metal Meltdown (Part 2) |publisher=MTV |last=D'Angelo |first=Joe}}</ref>
Joel McIver believes Tool to be important in the development of this genre and wrote in his book ''Unleashed: The Story of Tool'' "By 1996 and '97 the wave of alternative metal spearheaded by Tool in the wake of grunge was beginning to evolve into nu-metal." However, lead singer [[Maynard James Keenan]] was quick to separate himself from this movement saying "I'm sick of that whole attitude. The one that puts Tool in with [nu] metal bands. The press... can't seem to distinguish between alternative and metal."<ref name="toolbook">{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com.au/books?id=dA_V2mbPiecC&pg=PT108&dq=%22alternative+metal%22+%22tool%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=RUEcUfbXDo2YkgWSw4HoCw&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAQ |title=Unleashed: The Story of Tool - Joel McIver - Google Books |publisher=Books.google.com.au |date=}}</ref> Other alternative metal bands considered influential to the nu metal genre such as Helmet have also tried to distance themselves from the movement.<ref>{{cite web|author=comments policy 155 comments posted |url=http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/helmet_were_better_than_999_of_the_other_bands_out_there.html |title=Helmet: We're Better Than 99.9% Of The Other Bands Out There | News @ |publisher=Ultimate-guitar.com |date= }}</ref><ref name="Weatherford">{{Cite news| last = Weatherford | first = Mike | title = Mr. Bungle serving up pop music from Mars | newspaper =The Las Vegas Review-Journal| pages =32J | date =15 October 1999| url = | postscript = <!--None--> }}</ref>
Certain bands associated with the nu metal movement — such as [[System of a Down]], [[Godsmack]], [[Karnivool]],<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Rough Guide to Heavy Metal|last=Berelian |first=Essi |isbn=1-84353-415-0 |page=349}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=The Sound of the Beast|last=Christe |first=Ian |year= 2004|publisher=Allison and Bubsy |isbn=0-7490-8351-4 |page=329}}</ref> and [[Deftones]]<ref name="BNW-deftones">{{cite book |last = Udo |first = Tommy |title = Brave Nu World |publisher = Sanctuary Publishing |year = 2002 |pages = 112–123, 236 |isbn = 1-86074-415-X}}</ref><ref name="McIver-46">{{cite book |last=McIver |first=Joel |title=Nu-metal: The Next Generation of Rock & Punk |year=2002 |publisher=Omnibus Press |isbn=0-7119-9209-6 |page=46 |chapter=Deftones }}</ref> — are still classed as alternative metal, due to being closer in sound to [[alternative rock]].<ref>[http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=43322 Deftones To Headline Next Year's Taste of Chaos Tour] blabbermouth.net. 2005-10-24. Retrieved on 2013-02-14.</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Thomas |first=Stephen |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/system-of-a-down-mn0000005501 |title=System of a Down - Music Biography, Credits and Discography |publisher=AllMusic |date= }}</ref>
==Characteristics==
{{Listen
|filename=Man in the Box - Alice in Chains.ogg
|title="Man in the Box"
|description=Sample of "[[Man in the Box]]" by [[Alice in Chains]], from the album ''[[Facelift]]''. Although widely associated with [[grunge]], Alice in Chains are also noted for their alternative metal sound as demonstrated with this sample.
|filename2=Tool - Undertow - Prison Sex - sample.ogg
|title2="Prison Sex"
|description2=Sample of "[[Prison Sex]]" by [[Tool]], from the album ''[[Undertow (Tool album)|Undertow]]''. Tool are known for combining alternative metal with a wide variety of [[progressive rock|progressive]] structures.
|filename3=Chevelle - Well Enough Alone.ogg
|title3="Well Enough Alone"
|description3=Sample of "[[Well Enough Alone]]" by [[Chevelle]], from the album ''[[Vena Sera]]''. This sample displays the alternative metal style of music which Chevelle plays.
}}
The genre has been described as part of [[alternative rock]] and [[heavy metal]].<ref name="Will to mangle"/> Bands tend to feature clean singing,<ref name=aboutdotcom/> influenced by those of alternative rock, in contrast to other heavy metal subgenres. However, more recent bands have also incorporated vocal styles like [[death growl|growls]] and [[screaming]].<ref name="Will to mangle"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Thomas |first=Stephen |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/deftones-mw0000227382 |title=Deftones - Deftones : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |publisher=AllMusic |date= }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-beginning-of-all-things-to-end-mw0000016113 |title=The Beginning of All Things to End - Mudvayne |publisher=Allmusic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/violence-mw0000619131 |title=Violence - Nothingface |publisher=Allmusic}}</ref> It features aggressive [[guitar]] [[riff]]s as well.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/system-of-a-down-mw0000040168 |title=System of a Down - System of a Down |publisher=Allmusic}}</ref>
Jonathan Gold of the Los Angeles Times wrote in 1990 "Just as rock has an alternative, [left] wing-bands like the Replacements and Dinosaur Jr.-so does metal. Alternative metal is alternative music that rocks. And alternative metal these days can reach 10 times the audience of other alternative rock. Jane's Addiction plays an intense brand of '70s-influenced arty metal; so does Soundgarden. In fact, the arty meanderings of Sab and the Zep themselves would be considered alternative metal."<ref name="goldman">{{cite web|url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/60060917.html?dids=60060917:60060917&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+26%2C+1990&author=JONATHAN+GOLD&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=Alternative+Metal+Bands+Follow+Zeppelin+Lead+Records%3A+New+releases+by+Mind+Over+Four%2C+Warrior+Soul%2C+Prong+and+Flotsam+and+Jetsam.&pqatl=google |title=Los Angeles Times: Archives - Alternative Metal Bands Follow Zeppelin Lead Records: New releases by Mind Over Four, Warrior Soul, Prong and Flotsam and Jetsam |publisher=Pqasb.pqarchiver.com |date=1990-05-26}}</ref> Houston Press has described the genre as being a "compromise for people for whom Nirvana was not heavy enough but Metallica was too heavy."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/2014/04/six_bands_you_didnt_know_were.php|title=Six Bands You Didn't Know Were Still Around|author=Corey Deiterman|work=Houston Press}}</ref>
The first wave of alternative metal bands emerged from many backgrounds, including [[hardcore punk]] ([[Bad Brains]], [[Rollins Band]], [[Life of Agony]], [[Corrosion of Conformity]]), [[noise rock]] ([[Helmet]], [[The Jesus Lizard]], [[White Zombie]]), Seattle's [[grunge]] scene ([[Alice in Chains]], [[Soundgarden]]), [[stoner rock]] ([[Clutch]], [[Kyuss]]), [[sludge metal]] ([[Fudge Tunnel]], [[Melvins]]), [[gothic metal]] ([[Type O Negative]]) and [[industrial music|industrial]] ([[Ministry]], [[Nine Inch Nails]]).<ref name="allmusic alt metal"/><ref name="stoner">{{cite web|author=Stoner Metal |url=http://www.allmusic.com/style/stoner-metal-ma0000011961 |title=Stoner Metal : Significant Albums, Artists and Songs, Most Viewed |publisher=AllMusic |date= }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Begrand |first=Adrien |url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/clutch-robot |title=Clutch: Robot Hive / Exodus |publisher=PopMatters |date= }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Rivadavia |first=Eduardo |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/monster-magnet-mn0000495455 |title=Monster Magnet - Music Biography, Credits and Discography |publisher=AllMusic |date= }}</ref><ref name="fudge">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/fudge-tunnel-mn0000662652|title=Fudge Tunnel - Music Biography, Credits and Discography|first=Eduardo|last=Rivadavia|work=AllMusic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/alice-in-chains-mn0000007920|title=Quicksand - Music Biography, Credits and Discography|first=Greg|last=Prato|work=AllMusic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Goth Metal |url=http://www.allmusic.com/style/goth-metal-ma0000011855 |title=Goth Metal : Significant Albums, Artists and Songs, Most Viewed |publisher=AllMusic |date= }}</ref> These bands never formed a distinct movement or scene; rather they were bound by their incorporation of traditional metal influences and openness to experimentation.<ref name="allmusic alt metal"/> [[Jane's Addiction]] borrowed from [[art rock]]<ref name="goldman"/> and [[progressive rock]], [[Quicksand]] blended [[post-hardcore]] and [[Living Colour]] injected [[funk]] into their sound, for example,<ref name="allmusic alt metal"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newyorker.com/arts/events/nightlife/2013/02/04/130204goni_GOAT_nightlife |title=Night Life |publisher=The New Yorker |date= }}</ref> while [[Primus]] were influenced by progressive rock,<ref name="allmusic alt metal"/> [[thrash metal]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mCEyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3uUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6991,2564797&dq=thrash-funk&hl=en|title=Roll Over Manilow: Thrash funk is here|first=Elisabeth|last=Dunham|publisher=''Lawrence Journal-World''}}</ref> and funk<ref name="New Rage">{{cite web|last=Gore|first=Joe|date=August 1991|url=http://www.ram.org/music/primus/articles/funky.html|title=New Rage: The Funky|work=Guitar Player via ram.org}}</ref> and [[Faith No More]] mixed progressive rock, [[R&B]], funk and [[hip hop music|hip hop]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|url={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=faith-no-more-mn0000134729|pure_url=yes}}|title=((( Faith No More > Overview )))|work=AllMusic}}</ref> [[Fudge Tunnel]]'s style of alternative metal included influences from both sludge metal and noise rock.<ref name="fudge"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spin.com/articles/blame-nirvana-40-weirdest-post-nevermind-major-label-albums?slide=20 |title=Blame Nirvana: The 40 Weirdest Post-'Nevermind' Major-Label Albums | SPIN | Discover | SPIN Lists |publisher=SPIN |date=2013-01-08}}</ref>
==See also==
*[[List of alternative metal artists]]
* [[timeline of alternative rock]]
==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
==Sources==
*{{cite book|authorlink=Ian Christe|last=Christe|first=Ian|year=2003|title=[[Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal]]|publisher=HarperCollins|isbn=0-380-81127-8}}
==External links==
*[http://www.treblezine.com/columns/229.html 10 Essential Alternative metal singles]
*[http://www.vh1.com/news/203649/alt-metal-a-to-z/ Alt-Metal A To Z: 26 Bands That Define The Genre - VH1]
*[http://www.nuclearblast.de/en/rp/genres/alternative-metal.html Alternative metal - Nuclear Blast]
*[http://www.silver-dragon-records.com/alternative_metal.htm Silver Dragon Records: Alternative Metal]
{{Alternative metal}}
{{Alternative rock}}
{{Heavy metal music}}
[[Category:Genres]]
[[Category:Alternative metal]]